Turkey announced on Saturday that it was recalling its ambassador to Israel and cutting off contact with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in protest of the violence in Gaza. The decision comes ahead of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Turkey.

Turkey, which had been working to improve relations with Israel, took a stronger stance against both Israel and its Western supporters, particularly the United States, as the conflict escalated and the death toll of Palestinian civilians increased.

In a statement, the Turkish foreign ministry cited the “humanitarian tragedy in Gaza caused by the continuing attacks by Israel against civilians, and Israel’s refusal to accept a ceasefire” as the reason for recalling the ambassador.

Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Lior Haiat criticized the move, stating that it aligned Turkey with the Hamas terrorist organization.

Israeli forces have surrounded Gaza’s largest city in an attempt to weaken Hamas, following raids into Israel by Hamas on October 7 that reportedly resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and the taking of hostages.

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza claims that since then, around 9,500 people, mostly women and children, have been killed in Israeli airstrikes and the ongoing ground campaign.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan directly blamed Netanyahu for the increasing civilian death toll in Gaza, stating that he could no longer communicate with him.

Israel had previously withdrawn all diplomats from Turkey and other countries in the region as a precautionary measure.

Erdogan acknowledged that completely severing diplomatic ties was not feasible, especially in international diplomacy. He mentioned that the head of the Turkish intelligence agency, Ibrahim Kalin, was leading efforts to mediate an end to the war, including negotiations with Israel, Palestine, and Hamas.

Erdogan urged Netanyahu to take a step back and end the violence, claiming that he had lost the support of his own citizens.

Last year, Israel and Turkey agreed to reappoint ambassadors after a decade of strained relations. They were also discussing a natural gas pipeline project supported by the US, which could have led to further cooperation. However, Erdogan’s recent rhetoric against Israel, accusing the government of being a “war criminal” and seeking to “eradicate” Palestinians, has strained the relationship once again.

Blinken’s visit to Turkey will be met with protests organized by the IHH humanitarian relief fund, a group that previously attempted to send a flotilla to Gaza in 2010. The group will lead a protest march and car rally at a military base in southeastern Turkey that houses US weapons and troops.

Blinken, who recently visited Israel and called on its leaders to protect civilians in Gaza, had no breakthroughs during his visit and left empty-handed. He is currently meeting with Arab counterparts in Amman before heading to Turkey.